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Osaka

Japan's kitchen: neon, street food and a castle

Visa & entry checker Plan a trip to Osaka Plan a trip around Japan

Best time to visit: Mar, Apr, May, Oct, Nov
Currency: JPY
Time zone: UTC+9
Country: Japan

Photo: 663highland, CC BY 2.5

Japan's friendly, food-obsessed second city, with a castle, big theme parks and easy day trips to Kyoto, Nara and Kobe.

Largest cities

Tokyo
Yokohama
Osaka
Nagoya
Sapporo
Kyoto

Quick facts

Figures are rounded recent official estimates.

Country: Japan
Capital: Tokyo
City population: 2.8M
Population of Japan: 123.8M
Country area: 377,975 km²
Official language: Japanese
Currency: Japanese Yen (JPY) · 1 USD ≈ 158 JPY
Time zone: UTC+9
Calling code: +81
Drives on the: Left
Elevation: 5 m
Plugs: A / B · 100V
Emergency numbers: 110 · 119
Best time to visit: Mar, Apr, May, Oct, Nov

Temperatures through the year

Average daily high and low for each month in °C. Months marked with a drop are often rainy.

Temperatures through the year

Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
High	10°	10°	14°	20°	25°	28°	32°	34°	30°	24°	18°	12°
Low	3°	3°	6°	11°	16°	20°	24°	25°	22°	16°	10°	5°

Best time to visitOther months

Approximate daily cost

Per adult per day: food, local transport and half a double room, without activities or flights.

ConservativeSimple stays, free and low-cost sights first.$66
HighComfortable hotels, a balanced mix of sights and trips.$145
LuxuryLuxury hotels, more paid experiences and day trips.$385

Plan a trip to Osaka

Top things to do

≈ $15
Dōtonbori street food at night
Neon signs over the canal, takoyaki, okonomiyaki and kushikatsu; the city's motto is 'eat until you drop'.
- Half day
- Namba and Dōtonbori
- Good for kids
- Good in the evening
≈ $8
Osaka Castle
The rebuilt castle tower with a history museum, set in a large park of moats and cherry trees.
- Half day
- Osaka Castle
- Good for kids
≈ $70
Universal Studios Japan
A full day of rides, with Super Nintendo World and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter; buy tickets and Express Passes ahead.
- Full day
- Bay area
- Good for kids
≈ $20
Kaiyukan Aquarium
One of the world's largest aquariums, built around a huge Pacific tank with a whale shark.
- Half day
- Bay area
- Good for kids
- Indoors
≈ $15
Umeda Sky Building
An open-air rooftop walkway between two towers, best at sunset over the city lights.
- Half day
- Umeda
- Good in the evening
Free
Shinsekai and Tsūtenkaku
A retro district of old signs, kushikatsu bars and the Tsūtenkaku tower.
- Half day
- Namba and Dōtonbori

Before you go

Entry and visas

Many nationalities can visit visa-free for short stays; others need a visa, and some can apply for an eVISA online. Visit Japan Web lets you fill in immigration and customs forms before you land.

Official website

From the airport

Kansai International Airport is linked to Namba by the Nankai Rapi:t (about 40 minutes); Itami Airport serves domestic flights. The shinkansen from Tokyo takes about 2.5 hours to Shin-Osaka.

Getting around

Metro and JR lines cover the city; IC cards work everywhere. Kyoto is 15 minutes by shinkansen or 30 by local train.

Local tips

People stand on the right on escalators in Osaka, unlike Tokyo.
Osaka can be a base for Kyoto if hotels there are full.
Summers are hot and humid; plan indoor sights for midday.
Buy Universal Studios tickets online; they often sell out on weekends and holidays.